Thursday, November 15, 2007

The Mexican President is P***ed!!

“Mexican President Felipe Calderón took the unusual step Wednesday of injecting himself into U.S. presidential politics, calling Mexican migrants "thematic hostages" of the race and urging candidates not to use them as a talking point.” Mexican Leader Sees Bias in U.S. Politicking

It is a cliché that the Mexican citizenry that illegally sneaks into this country are merely taking on the so-called menial jobs that Americans just won’t do and that they are a net-gain for our economy. If that is so then Mr. Calderón should learn from OPEC and threaten us with a withholding of this valuable labor source if we don’t start acting nice. If they are important as the pro-illegals intimate, a quick capitulation by us should follow.

I think we all know which country would bear the worst of that move.

To me, it is a remarkable insight then into just how pathetic a country Mexico has become: a gringo-run country with an oft-lamented bias against Mexicans is still much preferred by a significant number of the discriminated-against Mexicans over a country run by Mexicans, supposedly for Mexicans.

Another way to examine the basket case that is the United Mexican States is a comparison to South Korea.

On Mexico's northern border, there is a violent, irrational threat that can invade at any time, knows no laws and respects no bounds of decency. I refer of course to the University of California at San Diego's freshman class that can easily hop on the trolley, clear the border on foot and tear through tequila under more relaxed drinking laws or worse and then head to the infamous "zona rosa" for activities I will not describe in your family-friendly publication.

Mexico has a varied climate, two massive coastlines (almost four if you count Baja), a large, low-cost labor force, excellent proximity to the world's largest economy, language affinity to most of South and Central America and much of the Caribbean and a less ideological, controversial foreign policy than the U.S. has. Meaning it ought to be trading with everybody and enjoying a standard of living at least as good at South Korea's. Especially with oil to sell to the gringos to the north.

Oh yeah, Mexico has not seen war in 100 years, unlike South Korea that saw nothing but war for essentially all of the 1950's.

South Korea has not thirsty, well-funded college students but 1 million half-starving killers on its northern frontier. It's climate is colder than Mexico's, affecting sunlight and productive time for agriculture. Korea's land area is a lot smaller than Mexico's and is mostly rugged and difficult. It does not have oil, borders no friendly nation, though it has cool relations with Japan across the Sea of Japan. It's northern border is militarized more than any other on the planet, and no nation on earth speaks Korean other than the two Korean states. There are lots of Koreans Korean-Americans who send home remittances from the states but many, many more Mexicans amd Mexican-Americans who do so.

You'd expect South Korea to have a PCI of about $11,000 and Mexico about $25,000; the converse is true.